24 April 2015

Exactly 20 years on from the release of Oasis’s first No 1 single, there are good reasons why they still cast a huge shadow over the pop landscape.

Last week, the Daily Mirror ran a story on a supposed (read: 100% not happening) Oasis reunion. It arrived almost exactly one year on from a Daily Star front page that claimed the “chart-topping Manchester band” were “set to headline Glastonbury in a £500m comeback deal”. Coincidence? Maybe. Although perhaps it isn’t coincidence. Maybe the tabloids take turns. Maybe the Sun is readying its own Gallagher-brothers-reunite exclusive for this time next year.

Also likely coincidence, but the Daily Mirror story arrives close to the 20th anniversary of the landmark event that kickstarted the red tops’ obsession with Oasis: Some Might Say, the band’s first No 1 single, was released exactly 20 years ago, on 24 April 1995. The single entered the charts at No 1, a landmark event not just for Oasis, but for what was then “indie” music, and for British music in general. Up until then, the idea of a band like Oasis reaching the top of the charts, as much as Echo & the Bunnymen or the Stone Roses might have boasted it was their aim, seemed like a romantic, nebulous concept. But Oasis actually did it. When Noel Gallagher raised his guitar above his head during a celebratory appearance on Top of the Pops that week (guest presenter – of course – Chris Evans), the alternative, music press-consuming nation felt a collective pang of triumph. At that precise moment, their world became the mainstream.

Within a year, genuine disappointment would greet Bluetones singles “only” entering the charts at No 2. Oasis, meanwhile, graduated from having indie centrefold Evan Dando trail them around on tour and play tambourine badly with them at instore appearances to having Robbie Williams – the Zayn Malik of his day, only with more cocaine – trail them around on tour and dance onstage badly with them during a Glastonbury headline set. Some Might Say was followed by Roll With It, the release of which – for reasons you’ll be aware of – was a lead item on the national news. Enter the tabloid press, bearing daily stories on Liam and/or Noel for at least the next two years. In August 1997, a picture Of Noel Gallagher mooning in Ibiza was the lead story on a Daily Record front page. The second lead was the death of Princess Diana.

In April 2015, pictures of Liam getting pissed would be unlikely to trump the arrival of Kate Middleton’s baby, but the regularity with which reliably spurious Oasis stories are deemed of greater interest to readers of a national newspaper than, say, the general election is testament to a continuing, insatiable public appetite for all things Gallagher. At the more specialist end of the media scale, consider also that NME – a magazine that is in theory primarily for teenagers keen to discover the hottest new bands – has published three Noel Gallagher covers already this year, and 21 Oasis-related covers in the six or so years since they ceased to exist. Even given there have been two Noel solo albums and two Beady Eye albums to contend with in that time, that’s a lot. And it can’t solely be down to the fact Noel is consistently the sharpest, most entertaining interview in town. It is because a lot of people still care, a lot.

There is a tendency to scoff that these people are all nostalgic football-loving British lads in their mid-30s, but that is easily disproved. Noel Gallagher recently expressed frustration that neither Arctic Monkeys nor Kasabian have succeeded in inspiring a next generation of bands. There’s a reason for that. If you look to Catfish & The Bottlemen – easily the fastest rising guitar band of the moment – they’re still going back to Oasis. Their leader Van McCann had his “I must do this” epiphany at their gigs at Heaton Park in 2009. “It was as if Jesus had come back,” he said recently of the occasion. It’s worth noting at this point that McCann was not even two years old when Definitely Maybe was released.

Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian themselves, of course, are both direct, self-confessed descendants of Oasis. And if you want to look beyond white, male British guitar bands, you could pan out to Frances Bean Cobain – born the same week as Van McCann – who continues to be a vocal, B-side referencing obsessive on Twitter (quizzed as to who she preferred out of Nirvana and Hole, she answered “Oasis”). Or to Jessica Alba, who celebrated her 21st birthday at an Oasis gig in Las Vegas. Or further afield to Mish Way, singer with Canadian feminist punks White Lung, who recently wrote an article entitled “It’s literally impossible to hate Oasis”. These are just a few. Marilyn Manson adores them (‘Be Here Now’ is his favourite album). Quite brilliantly, Tupac Shakur once said that they were “true thug life”.

What Oasis still represent to this wide spectrum of people is that idea of a band doing things completely on their own terms and triumphing over ”manufactured” music. Oasis didn’t even make a dedicated video for Some Might Say (Liam didn’t turn up to the shoot, and a clip had to be cobbled together from footage shot for Cigarettes and Alcohol). Nor did they, unlike the supposedly more alternative-minded likes of Blur and Pulp, utilise that most execrable of 90s fan-extortion tactics – the multi-edition CD single – to pump up its chart position. They didn’t, it turned out, need to play either of these games. Their songs and their attitude was enough.

“We’re here to get lids like you out of the charts and bands in,” Van McCann said recently in response to fawning adoration from Louis Tomlinson of One Direction. A fantastically correct attitude for a young would-be rock’n’roll star to have. And one that comes directly from Oasis, a band who will likely still be the template for kids with or without guitars to do the same in even another 20 years’ time.

Jools presents performances by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, with tracks from their latest album Chasing Yesterday, and funk legend George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic. They are joined on the bill by London folk-rockers Mumford & Sons, Finnish blues singer Mirel Wagner, Senegalese musician Cheikh Lo and South London's Obaro Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet. Extended version of Tuesday's live show.

"Some Might Say" is a song by British rock band Oasis and was released on the 24th April 1995.

The song was written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was the first single to be released from their definitive second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory ? in 1995, and provided the band with their first #1 in the UK Singles Chart.

The track was apparently inspired by the Small Faces and/or T-Rex. It was the last Oasis track to feature original drummer Tony McCarroll, who was asked to leave the band before the main recording sessions for (What's the Story) Morning Glory ? when tensions arose between McCarroll and the Gallagher brothers. The rest of the tracks on the album feature Alan White on drums.

The sleeve artwork, shot at Cromford railway station in Derbyshire, England, features art director Brian Cannon's father with wheelbarrow and his mother with mop. Also pictured are Matthew Sankey, Cannon's aide and Carla Knox, barmaid of his local pub. Liam Gallagher can be seen on the bridge whilst Noel can be viewed with a watering can. Cannon himself rates this piece amongst his greatest works.

The planned promo video for the song was canceled due to Liam not turning up for the shoot. Instead, a makeshift video was created using footage from the "Cigarettes & Alcohol" and US "Supersonic" videos.

B-sides
Aside from the title song, the single boasts some of Oasis' finest B-sides, all of which were deemed worthy to grace the critically acclaimed Masterplan album. "Talk Tonight", is one of many acoustic B-side tracks sung by Noel, and was, at the time, the most vulnerable song he had attempted. It was inspired by the near-breakup of the band in Los Angeles in autumn 1994, when Noel walked out without telling anyone and headed for San Francisco.

The B-side "Acquiesce" was released as part of the Stop the Clocks EP in promotion their compilation album, Stop the Clocks.

In an interview promoting the compilation album, Stop the Clocks, Noel stated that "Some Might Say" is the "archetypical Oasis song' and 'defines what Oasis is". Noel added later in the interview that along with "Some Might Say", its b-side, "Acquiesce", was also the song that defined Oasis.

The song also appears on Stop the Clocks, as do two of the b-sides. Suprisingly, this means that the "Some Might Say" single contains the fourth largest number of tracks to appear on Stop the Clocks of any Oasis release (after Definitely Maybe, Morning Glory and The Masterplan). Therefore, more songs from this single ended up on Stop the Clocks than Don't Believe the Truth (2 songs), Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, Heathen Chemistry (1 song each) and Be Here Now (no songs from this album appear on Stop the Clocks).

"Some Might Say" is a playable track in both Guitar Hero World Tour and The European version of Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades.

Glastonbury boss Michael Eavis has dropped the biggest hint yet that Oasis will reform for this year's festival.

The founder of the music event, which takes places in Somerset, south-west England in late June, confirmed 'two British bands' will be joining together to headline the world-famous festival on the Sunday night.

Speaking to the Daily Express, he explained: 'It is going to be two British bands.'

When probed further on whether the bands would be performing separately, Michael, speaking at a Glastonbury talk at the Victoria & Albert museum, replied: 'No! They will be joining forces - that's not been done really.'

The exciting revelation comes after rumours began swirling about feuding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher joining forces for the first time since the Britpop band dramatically split in 2009.

A source close to the brothers recently told the Daily Mirror Noel, who left the band claiming he couldn't work with his younger sibling anymore following a series of rows, is back on good terms with Liam.

The insider said: 'It's early days in terms of the details, but Noel and Liam are back on good terms and ready to give things another go.'

'Nothing is signed but it's what you might call a gentlemen's agreement between them.'
'Ultimately they’re family and whatever has gone on before can be sorted out – they're very close beneath all the bluster.'

Noel, who is now the frontman of High Flying Birds, appeared to shy away from the idea of a reunion last month, revealing in a radio interview that he 'doesn't want to do it again'.

But the 47-year-old rocker confirmed he was open to the idea of a reunion with his younger brother if the money was right.

'If I was ever going to do it, it would only be for the money,' he said.

Speaking to Q magazine, he added: 'This isn't me putting it out there, by the way. Would I do it for charity? No way. We’re not that kind of people. For Glastonbury? I don’t think Michael Eavis has got enough money.

'But would we get back together one day? As long as everybody is still alive and still has their hair, it’s always a possibility. But only for the money.'

Last month Liam, 42, whose band Beady Eye split up last year after five years together, shared a picture of himself holding a backstage pass to one of Noel's gigs, proving their relationship is on the mend.

He captioned it: 'Keeping it in the family...LG x'.

Around the same time, Noel, who's set to tour North America next month with his band, encouraged his younger sibling to make a solo album, saying he should 'put his balls on the line.'

Formed in 1991, Oasis' first LP Definitely Maybe at the time became the fastest selling debut album in the UK and set the wheels in motion for a number of hits including Don't Look Back In Anger.

However as the band grew more popular, tension between the two brother began to mount and the pair often clashed while on the road.

In 2009 after an altercation with Liam which resulted in one of his guitars being destroyed Noel quit.

In a statement, he wrote in a statement: 'It is with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight.'

He added: 'People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.'

The final addition to the Sunday line-up of the Pyramid Stage is set to be announced by Michael on June 1.

The festival kicks off on June 24 and Foo Fighters and Kanye West headlining the first two night.

Jools presents performances by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, with tracks from their latest album Chasing Yesterday, and funk legend George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic. They are joined on the bill by London folk-rockers Mumford & Sons, Finnish blues singer Mirel Wagner, Senegalese musician Cheikh Lo and South London's Obaro Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet. An extended edition can be seen on Friday.

Friday 24th April 201511:35pm - 12:40am BBC Two (UK Time)

Jools presents performances by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, with tracks from their latest album Chasing Yesterday, and funk legend George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic. They are joined on the bill by London folk-rockers Mumford & Sons, Finnish blues singer Mirel Wagner, Senegalese musician Cheikh Lo and South London's Obaro Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet. Extended version of Tuesday's live show.

Every day is the same... hassled in hotel lobbies... chased through train stations... arrive at the gig... marvel at the latest brass section... There was one particularly shit mob in. Can't remember now but they were awful...funny almost.

Some guy at one of the shows had a placard held what said: "WHAT COLOUR UNDERPANTS ARE YOU WEARING?". I'd like to say the crowd were stunned into silence when I told them I don't wear underwear onstage, but as it was quieter than a comedy club that Madonna's doing stand up at (did you see that thing? Holy shit balls!!) I'm not sure anyone noticed, least of all me!

Been given some truly wonderful gifts by that mob. Not a day goes by that someone's not thrusting something or other at you shouting "GIFT FOR YOU!!" or "GIFT FOR SARA!!" or "GIFT FOR YOUR CHILDREN!!"

Bless you and thanks by the way if any of those people were you.

I did get a bit concerned when someone give me this bag of...stuff. In amongst it was a box with, what I would describe as, quite shouty Japanese writing on it. Being curious and all that I decided to open it up and see what was in it. Turns out it was individually wrapped little mini chocolate bars. BINGO!! I put the kettle on and sat down to sample the delights of yer oriental fun size snack. I'm on about my 3rd little shouty chocolate things when I start examining the box and I notice that underneath the shouty Japanese writing is, written in shouty English, "The legend: BLACK THUNDER!!" Black thunder? I'm thinking... Oh fuck these better not be laxatives!!

The lad with the placard followed the entire tour with different variations on his original sign, at least I think it was him... My favourite being him holding up a sign with just a pair of underpants drawn on with the words: "WHAT COLOUR ARE THEY?" He was obsessed!

The interviews were as you might imagine... Unique I think is the best way to put it.

Jools presents performances by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, with tracks from their latest album Chasing Yesterday, and funk legend George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic. They are joined on the bill by London folk-rockers Mumford & Sons, Finnish blues singer Mirel Wagner, Senegalese musician Cheikh Lo and South London's Obaro Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet. An extended edition can be seen on Friday.

Friday 24th April 201511:35pm - 12:40am BBC Two (UK Time)

Jools presents performances by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, with tracks from their latest album Chasing Yesterday, and funk legend George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic. They are joined on the bill by London folk-rockers Mumford & Sons, Finnish blues singer Mirel Wagner, Senegalese musician Cheikh Lo and South London's Obaro Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet. Extended version of Tuesday's live show.

The feuding brothers split the iconic Britpop band in 2009 but they’re back on speaking terms – and rumour has it they’re planning to work together again.

It’s music to the ears of millions of bereft Oasis fans left in a trackless desert after the band’s 2009 split.

Feuding brothers Noel Gallagher and Liam – spotted out with his girlfriend and pals this week, as you can see in the gallery above – are said to have taken the first steps towards a reunion next year.

Weeks after it emerged the pair had patched up their differences, we can reveal the band are in talks for a comeback.

Details were leaked by a well-placed source speaking after 47-year-old Noel’s recent gig in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

They said: “It’s early days in terms of the details, but Noel and Liam are back on good terms and ready to give things another go. Nothing is signed but it’s what you might call a gentlemen’s agreement between them.

“Ultimately they’re family and whatever has gone on before can be sorted out – they’re very close beneath all the bluster.”

Liam is particularly keen to perform a money-spinning series of concerts as he is eager to rebuild his career.

He has suffered a string of damaging revelations about his personal life and his band Beady Eye has folded.

The 42-year-old fathered a child, Gemma, with US music journalist Liza Ghorbani in March 2013. He has recently reached an agreement over payments after a lengthy court battle.

The affair led to his divorce from Nicole Appleton, 40, last year. He is now in a relationship with his former assistant Debbie Gwyther, 32, and was seen out this week having a meal and a few drinks at a pub near his North London home.

The source said: “Noel’s solo career has been a huge success with number one records and sold-out arena tours but Liam hasn’t been able to match that with Beady Eye.

"He is ready to try and put their differences behind them in order to get back on stage together with the band now that Beady Eye have split up.

“Obviously it would be massively lucrative for them both too, and the demand for tickets would be enormous.”

Rumours of a reunion have been circling for months amid claims they would be tempted by an offer of headlining this summer’s Glastonbury Festival.

And Liam posted a photograph of himself online clutching an Access All Areas pass to one of Noel’s solo gigs, revealing the pair were hanging out again – with the caption: “Keeping it in the family.”

But it is thought the pair wanted more time to plan a comeback on their own terms rather than committing to anything this year – while still insisting publicly a reunion remains a long way off.

Noel, who married Sara MacDonald, 43, in 2011, recently admitted their only ­motivation would be “for the money”.

He said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine: “If I was ever going to do it, it would only be for the money. This isn’t me putting it out there, by the way.

“Would I do it for charity? No way. We’re not that kind of people.

“For Glastonbury? I don’t think Michael Eavis has got enough money. But would we get back together one day? As long as everybody is still alive and still has their hair, it’s always a possibility. But only for the money.”

Today representatives for both Noel and Liam declined to comment about plans for a reunion – although sources say Noel has yet to be completely convinced.

"Who Feels Love?" is a song by British rock band Oasis, written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It became the second single to be released from the album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, peaking at number 4 in the UK charts when released on 17th of April 2000.

The album was noted for its psychedelic feel, and "Who Feels Love?" was held up as the most extreme example of this. Mark Stent was praised for his production on the song, creating a "trippy" feel like that found on Beatles songs such as "Rain". With the psychedelic and Eastern sound, the song also reminds of George Harrison achievements like "Within You Without You" and also some of his solo work.

However, despite the high-quality production, the song was not well received by the critics, NME said that the production "triumphs over any real sort of feeling... pure mock Maharishi spirituality that not even Liam can salvage from the realm of self-parody".

One of the B-sides is a cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter". It was played live during the Shoulders tour of 2000. Paul Weller recorded a version of b-side "One Way Road" for his covers-album Studio 150 in 2004. The Weller version was subsequently used as the theme tune to Jack Dee's sitcom Lead Balloon.

Below is the setlist from yesterdays Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds concert in Toyko, Japan.

Do The Damage
Stranded On The Wrong Beach
Everybody's On The Run
Fade Away
In The Heat Of The Moment
Lock All The Doors
Riverman
The Death Of You And Me
You Know We Can't Go Back
Champagne Supernova
The Ballad Of The Mighty I
Dream On
The Dying Of The Light
The Mexican
AKA... Broken Arrow
Digsy's Dinner
Don't Look Back In Anger
If I Had A Gun
AKA... What A Life!
The Masterplan

The guitar legends, who have both worked with Gallagher, claim his current live set up and recent Number One album 'Chasing Yesterday' is some of his best work ever.

"I couldn't give a fuck if Oasis got back together again because I like what he does now," Weller told NME, just weeks after Gallagher said the former Jam man would put his "fucking windows in" if that happened.

Weller added: "He gets better and better I think. His new album is wicked."

Marr added: "When I played with him recently [Marr joined Gallagher onstage at Manchester Arena last month], it's interesting because he's filled up this arena and he's managed to do it by inventing a new kind of Noel music which does what you want from it. He still does big melodies, big choruses and places really amazing feeling in there. But it's a new kind of thing he's doing."

The pair also said Gallagher has become an institution in British guitar music over the last 21 years.

Marr added: "He's a songwriter, he's been around and been so well known for years, he's a bit of a, what's the term?"

Weller: "Wanker?"

"Ha, no, national treasure," laughed Marr. "He's just somebody you've got something in common with. When you love music and love playing music that much and when you meet someone else who does that, it cuts through a lot of the bullshit really, and he's always been the same.

He added: "Like myself and Paul he's someone that won't go away whether he's successful or not because it's what he does. He's a lifer. Everyone knows that about him. He's serious about what he does."

Weller also revealed that he is planning on finishing a new track with Gallagher when the pair get chance.

"The biggest problem I think is keeping him in the studio long enough," he added.

He continued: "We were trying to write a song for my new album but he was only there for a few hours. He seemed to want to get away before five o'clock. We had the makings of a track but we just need to sit down and finish it."

Marr and Weller recently discussed the possibility of working together on new music, following their recent onstage team-up in London, saying it's something they "definitely" hope to do.

'The Hindu Times' is a song by English rock group Oasis, and was the first single to be released from their fifth album Heathen Chemistry on 15 April 2002. It was written by Noel Gallagher. Noel got the name "The Hindu Times" from a t-shirt he saw in a charity shop. The song was the band's sixth UK #1 single, staying on top for one week before being dislodged by the Sugababes' "Freak Like Me".

The title has little to do with the lyrics of the song, which are more in the vein of Definitely Maybe's "Rock 'n' Roll Star". It has been speculated that the title refers to the main riffs' similarity to Indian music in sound, sounding as if they were played on a sitar. Gallagher himself says that it is because he had already named the song before any lyrics were written for it.

The song, which combines the powerful fast rock of their earlier work with the psychedelic feel of their later work, was one of the first Oasis singles since (What's the Story) Morning Glory to receive almost unanimously positive reviews from the critics. However, some fans have criticised the song, stating that the main guitar riff was lifted from the Stereophonics song, "Same Size Feet", which was released in 1997 on their Word Gets Around album and uses the exact same, or at least very similar, guitar riff.

The song was unveiled during Oasis' Autumn 2001 Noise and Confusion Tour. The song was due to be released commercially at the same time but Noel decided the track needed more work done on it to be suitable for release.

The B-side, "Just Getting Older", was written at the time of the release of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants.

The demo version of The Hindu Times is radically different from the finished album version. Most of the lyrics (sung by Noel) are different, and the slower sound of the song is much more "grungy", with a heavy drum loop running throughout the song. It is also a semitone higher in the demo.

The "10 Minutes..." documentary is the first part of a unique feature covering 48 hours on the road with Oasis during the Tour of Brotherly Love which took place in the USA with the Black Crowes during May and June 2001.